


do you want to get out of here?

by catlikeacat



Category: Apex Legends (Video Games)
Genre: Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-18
Updated: 2020-02-18
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:20:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,801
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22787071
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/catlikeacat/pseuds/catlikeacat
Summary: Unusual. Unusual was how Ajay’d describe the person she’d just laid eyes on.Not that it was an insult or anything. Just as captivating as they were strange.Already she was calculating exactly how to get their attention. Unsure of what the endgame was but there’s no harm in a little bit of flirting, right?Besides, this benefit gala couldn't be more boring if it tried.
Relationships: Bloodhound/Lifeline | Ajay Che
Comments: 13
Kudos: 50





	do you want to get out of here?

**Author's Note:**

> First of my many, rapidly growing Apex fanfic ideas. Of course my favorite pairing has to be some weird, obscure thing that nobody else really pays much attention to lmao. Just means I'll have to populate the tag myself.
> 
> I drew my Bloodhound face headcanon in part because I know I'm not the best at describing faces lmao:  
> https://twitter.com/catlikeacat/status/1229568147742744581

Ajay’s never liked big parties, ever since she was a little girl being hauled around by her parents. A monument to their humanity.

It’s left her lukewarm to the whole “party” thing. She may love to be surrounded by friends but the idea of dressing up and being paraded around like a shiny bauble has always felt… reductive. Like she’s more of a pretty little doll than a grown woman.

Looking at her reflection, she damn well feels like one. Her comfy, practical clothes torn away and replaced by a form fitting sparkly red cocktail dress. Hair down for once in her life, lightly curled at the excited insistence of Natalie.

“You will look gorgeous!” the girl had proclaimed, evidently quite excited by the promise of what she seemed to see as little more than an excuse to dress-up.

It begged the question, does Ajay look pretty? Ya damn well better think so.

Would she rather just be sitting around in a circle in the Legend’s dorms, drinking a beer and telling their favorite tales from the games? Abso-fuckin’-lutely.

Tenmei was a restaurant that really was so far beyond anyplace Ajay found herself comfortable. The glitz and glamor of the establishment felt suffocating and took her back to worse days. Every muscle twitching in her body with demands that she get out of here, as soon as physically possible.

Some felt like her.

Anita leaned on the bar in her drab suit, bored out of her mind and lazily tracing a finger around her glass.

Dr. Nox was pressed into a corner table and glaring at anyone who even looked vaguely brave enough to approach him. Being in a nice suit doing nothing to stop his gruff demeanor from glaring through.

Tae Joon was in the middle, focused on scanning the crowd thoroughly, taking thousands of mental notes. Well dressed but in a way that said “they made me.”

Renee looked like she was ten seconds out from jumping out the window, slowly backing towards the glass as people passed too close. Black dress conservative to the point of being suffocating.

Others were absolutely thriving.

Makoa’s laughter was explosive as always, booming loud enough to fill the whole room as he gave the stuffed suit next to him a hearty slap on the back that nearly took him out of commission. Plain black suit jacket over a loudly patterned button up.

Aforementioned Natalie had trapped some confused woman in an in-depth conversation about electrical currents. Prom-like, puffy dress making her look like an orange-and-blue cupcake.

Octavio was certainly having fun, seemed to be zipping from one side of the party to the other in the blink of an eye. Despite growing up with him it was easy for Ajay to forget he was the son of a rich magnate until the boy was all dressed to the nines and making a room full of people to fall in love with him. Normally flyaway hair tamed and in a suit that tux one could call “dapper” if not for the fact it was lime green and only came to his knees.

Elliott was exactly in his element. He was born for this and even Ajay had to admit he looked damn handsome when he cleaned himself up. Maybe it helped that he’d toned himself down just a teeny bit, despite the golden suit.

But Bloodhound… they were nowhere to be seen. Probably been smart enough to just not come at all, was probably happily frolicing in a forest right now with Artur. She envied them, an odd night with one of her most enigmatic friends sounded a lot more interesting than… this.

Sighing heavily, Ajay swirled the pinkish girly drink in her hand. She’s already spent so much time this evening chatting up the rich benefactors around the room that they’d grown bored with her too casual nature. Gravitating towards the more gregarious members and leaving her in the dust.

A far cry from what she was used to, always being hunted down with extreme prejudice on the battlefield. People fearing her getting her team back to full health.

Now that? That made her feel proud.

Keeping that in mind, she just continually assured herself that if she stood there, smiled, and didn’t make a racket that she’d be back out there in no time.

But man, could she at least find something or someone to amuse herself in the meantime?

Briefly she contemplated her choices from the “unfriendly” pile but none of the four seemed like they terribly wanted the chatter hungry doctor to interrupt their brooding. The “friendly” pile would only trap her in another conversation with the rich people they were supposed to be wooing.

God, everything came back to that, huh? Maybe she should just scan the crowd for the non-Legends and just look for one who might be genuinely interesting to talk to.

She doubted she’d find her target but it was better than being a corner dweller, right?

The room was expansive and had as many people stuffed into it as capacity allowed. Just enough room for the small woman to move between people as she traversed to the other side of the room. More by Tae Joon. It seemed like most had clustered on the side she was on so maybe on the other there’d be someone a bit more…

Unusual. Unusual was how she’d describe the person she’d just laid eyes on.

Not that it was an insult or anything.

Fairly tall, the only reason why they weren’t towering over the gaggle of women mingling in front of them was the odd decision to sit on one of the many mossy rocks decorating the area. Arms crossed in front of them with a cautious look in their eyes.

Well, she was projecting that part a bit. Technically there was no look in their eyes, pure white and empty. Slight head movements giving away the fact they were looking around and quashing her immediate assumption they were blind.

It’d fit the damage on their face if they were, a seemingly infinite number of scars crisscrossing their skin like a roadmap to nowhere. Interrupted only by facial tattoos, strings of runes cascading down their face.

The clothes were similarly unusual. A strange outfit that she guess one would call a suit in the most literal sense of the word but with a long piece of cloth wrapped around the waist that almost looked like a skirt with an odd fur trim. A matching cape- an actual, literal cape- wrapped around their shoulders. Everything embroidered with oddly familiar patterns.

Plenty of heavy looking crystal jewelry glinted green, red, and yellow in the light. Even woven into their long, ash blonde hair which had been intricately braided. A few black feathers sticking out of it in the back.

Her end diagnosis? Unusual but captivating.

Already she was calculating exactly how to get their attention. Unsure of what the endgame was but there’s no harm in a little bit of flirting, right? It’s not like Legends don’t get lonely and the Syndicate was oddly cool with them having partners, even letting them into the private quarters to visit.

She remembered with clarity the last romantic visitor. Gibraltar’s boyfriend had shown up with a massive bouquet of tropical flowers and container upon container of homemade food for all of them. As far as she was concerned he was welcome any ti-

The stranger’s head suddenly snapped to her as she was lost in her thoughts, just a small, sharp look that barely moved their head but in that instant she knew exactly how creepy she looked. Standing stock still, jaw nearly dropped, half obscured by party goers, empty glass in her hand, just silently staring at them intently.

As they continued to survey her with a wary stare, head tilting in an almost animalistic way…

Well, Ajay decided she was already the weirdo staring them down. Why not go for it? In for a creepy penny, in for a creepy pound.

“‘Scuse me,” she said for the hundredth time as she squeezed past the last few people towards the person. Relieved when she could just freely approach them, hand out, “Ajay Che, nice to meetcha.”

The look on their face was wary as they shook her hand, very obviously searching her face despite the lack of pupils as they didn’t reciprocate the introduction, “The famous combat medic Legend, of course.”

Their voice was weird, something Ajay remembered from times when she tried to quash down her accent to make a joke. But damn near half of everyone had an accent around here, why hide it?

“The one an’ only,” she caught that lack of proper response but pushed nonetheless, “An’ you look just about as happy as I am to be here so why are you? No offense but y’don’t seem like the other rich people here. Lookin’ to be the next big Legend?”

“Something like that,” they responded, crossing their ankles casually, “Certainly more on the side of a Fe… warrior. Than of the rich.”

“Can’t be doin’ too bad for yourself though,” Ajay took a bold move, running her hand down some of the fur of the cape, “Don’t get to be wearin’ things like this unless you’re livin’ at least a little bit large.”

“You can, if you catch the animals yourself,” a small touch of ego evident in their voice, “I pride myself on my craftsmanship. One can make a cheap suit look elegant if only they pick up a few basic skills.”

“So, you’re good with your hands,” Ajay knew that was very on-the-nose but she was never one for subtlety, “That’s cool though, always been a helluva doctor but can’t do much beyond my lil’ doodles. Nat- uh, Wattson really likes them though. Always draw ‘em on things for her.”

If they caught her innuendo they didn’t show it, “My uncle always taught me to try and make things on my own, be them decorative or practical.”

“So if you’re talkin’ about making things and fightin’ and all...” Ajay chanced sitting next to them on the small rock, glad they didn’t move away even with their arms pressed together. Angling her words carefully, “Y’make your own weapons or anything? If you’re thinkin’ about being a Legend you’ve had to have thought about your gimmick. What do you do?”

They were quiet for so long Ajay thought they weren’t going to respond for a second. But they did, slowly, carefully, and just a bit too vaguely, “I am a hunter, typically of bigger game. Be nice to try my skills against something a bit more intelligent. Just a bit.”

Ajay cackled, nudging them, “C’mon, I’d say I’m a bit more than just a bit more!”

“You, of course, but some of your brethren are a bit more…”

As if on cue, Mirage’s hand slipped off the banister he went to lay on to flirt with some hapless girl. Slamming him to the ground like a sack of bricks and stumbling back to his feet clumsily, quickly babbling something to try and recover socially.

“Eh, Ell- Mirage isn’t THAT dumb,” Ajay feigned, “Just… needs t’get over himself. But you’re a hunter… suppose that makes sense with the fur. Don’t got any lone wolves in the Games though, so if you had to pick your dream team… who would you pick?”

“You, of course,” they answered just a little bit too quickly, immediately realizing their forwardness and backing down a bit, “A talented doctor can be everything on the battlefield. For the second…”

They paused and thought for a second.

“Anita,” they answered, definitively, “Intelligent, respectable, powerful. A perfect third.”

“Oh, she gets to be all that and I’m just ‘talented doctor’? Gonna make me jealous,” she quirked an eyebrow, already there.

“I apologize” their face immediately went pink as they looked away, “I am not… someone who compliments people much face-to-face. You are, of course, genius, charismatic and… beautiful.”

“Now that’s more like it,” Ajay’s eyes twinkling from the wide smile, “Always nice when someone as gorgeous as you thinks I’m beautiful.”

If their face was pink before, now they were bright red. Sounding almost confused, “T-thank you, I am… apparently even more unused to receiving compliments.”

“Really? That’s… surprising.”

That only seemed to fluster them more.

For some reason eager to change the subject, they turned the question to her with an oddly curious look, “What about you? You’ve fought with all of them by now, who do you prefer to sla- fight with?”

“Well, I feel like if I don’t say Octane first he’ll somehow hear and be heartbroken,” Ajay laughed, “He’s been my best friend since forever, met when we were just kids at a rich person party like this.”

“And your third?”

“Ain’t nothin’ I hate more than goin’ in blind so always want a recon specialist on my side,” Ajay kicked at one of the smaller rocks, “So, Bloodhound. Crypto is recon too but he’s… kind of a jerk. Much rather deal with someone a bit more friendly and they were smart enough to not come to this party so…”

Man, it was always weird using the codenames for her friends.

Reminded her that the rest of the world didn’t really know who they were, under their proverbial masks.

Sometimes literal masks, ironically with Octavio and Blood… hound…

“Hey, do you want to get out of here?” Ajay nodded towards the rest of the party, “Heard that there’s a helluva rooftop garden on this place and nobody’s lookin’ right now.”

Partially a lie. Tae Joon wasn’t too far away and flicking his eyes over but he certainly wasn’t going to try and stop them.

Another long, long silence. Their arms crossed and examining the crowd themselves, silently trying to decide if it was worth it to stay. Given that nobody else had tried to talk to them…

Their answer was quiet, like they were afraid of being overheard, “Alright, quickly.”

\- - -

That mindless article she’d clicked on one dark evening, bored in her room, sure as hell hadn’t been wrong. The rooftop garden was exquisite, an odd array of exotic plants dotting every inch of the busy rooftop. Large, heavy, foreign fruits hung temptingly from the branches. Looking colorful and juicy but Ajay was far from a survivalist, for all she knew they could be poisonous.

Temporarily, Ajay was distracted from her initial reason for dragging the stranger up there. Too caught up in her own wonderment to flirt with them.

But in her distraction, she was only making herself more alluring. Brown eyes sparkling in the many glowing points of bioluminescence that lit the rooftops. Unnatural and beautiful, something Ajay’d only seen in pictures online.

Despite her mission being temporarily forgotten, the goal was being achieved. Pacing around her like a curious animal, the stranger examined her intently. Like they weren’t going to be able to ever see her again, like they’d never seen her before.

The intensity and silence of it made Ajay feel like it should be threatening but the weird familiarity kept the fear at bay. The stalking predator circling her benevolent, protective even.

A wolf, willing to be domesticated.

“Tch, and all those eediats sittin’ down there,” Ajay spun slowly, marvelling at the flora, “Don’t even know what’s over their heads.”

“People never do, I take a great pleasure in being out in nature but I’ve yet to have anyone accept my invitations to come with,” they approached one of the trees and gently ran their fingers along the skin of an odd blueish fruit before plucking it, “Sometimes, I do really wish someone would walk with me.”

“Well, maybe if you make it as a Legend you c’n take me sometime,” Ajay returned to her mission, sidling up and examining the fruit in their hand, “Y’ain’t gonna eat that, are you?”

“Why would I take it if I wasn’t?” they replied like it was the most obvious answer in the world, turning it over in their hand to check for any indication that they should take Ajay’s concerns to heart, “I don’t believe in being wasteful. My line of work all but necessitates I be able to tell what I can and cannot safely eat.”

At that, they took a bite. Lips pulling back and revealing one last little thing that Ajay had failed to notice. Canines sharpened, just slightly, into pointed little fangs.

For a second, Ajay believed that the way their bite slowed to a crawl was unintentional but those empty eyes were searching for a reaction. Very edges of their mouth curling up into a smile as they got what they wanted, usually cool headed Ajay flustered just enough for it to be painfully obvious as she watched them pull back and swallow the bite.

Blue shines from the garden lighting their too pale appearance in a way that made them look otherworldly.

A forest spirit, taken with the most beautiful girl from the nearby village.

When they offered her a bite as well, it felt like they were cloying for her to make a deal to be whisked away.

Literal or figurative, Ajay accepted it. Grabbing the strong wrist and pulling it closer, biting into the juicy flesh of the unusual fruit. A completely unfamiliar taste but delicious. Pulling back the desire to take a few more quick bites in the manner befitting a particularly hungry piranha she let herself linger just a bit too long too.

This weird, almost too-much flirting was weird but… welcome. Felt right.

And if the intense empty stare was any indicator, they were certainly appreciating it too.

\- - -

Her dress was ruined, absolutely ruined, but she didn’t care. Dots of fruit juice stained the sparkly fabric, no matter how she’d tried to twist away to spare her outfit the damage. Somehow, the stranger had avoided a single drop. Fancy clothes as immaculate as ever as the small pile of cores and pits gathered at their feet.

But despite it all, they were still staring at her with a warm smile. A far cry from the stoic look that they’d blankly surveyed the crowd with and the cold stare they’d first hit her with. Even the odd suppression of their accent was lightening up.

She was sure her makeup was destroyed and she must look like a mess but they were still looking at her like she was the sun. As they’d talked more and more, she’d managed to dance some answers out of them. Cautious little peeks into their life.

Ajay was much more open and they seemed genuinely interested in a way she wasn’t used to. Most everyone knew her story by now, of all the Legends she was an open book and a PR dream. Willing to sit there and be interviewed on a fairly regular basis, so long as they paid her enough. Give her something good to send back to the Frontier Corps.

Swinging her legs which just barely didn’t reach the ground, she tapped her fingers on the stone bench, “I really look like a mess right now, huh?”

“It’s cute,” they brushed a stray streak of juice from her chin, “This has been… surprisingly nice. I didn’t want to come tonight but I’m glad we were able to spend this time together. I am used to solitude but appreciate companionship when I can get it.”

“If you want a little more companionship we could always get even more out of here…” Ajay placed a hand on their thigh, tilting her eyes at the perfect angle to look up through her eyelashes, “Nobody’s in the dorms right now, we’d have a lot of privacy.”

Hesitating, they contemplated something for a long, long second. Placing a cold hand over hers to halt the glacier slow upward trajectory as they stared out at the city.

Eventually speaking, their accent was starting to shine through the cracks, “I… Ajay… I have to confess-”

She cut them off, miming a bird flapping its wing with her free hand, “I mean, your bird’s there but he likes to fly around the common area? I don’t really want him watching us while we-”

All semblances of hiding their accent broke off, “Wait, you… did you know the whole time?”

“Not initially,” Ajay squeezed their leg a bit, “But I caught it pretty early on and things just... started clicking into place. Just ‘wow, yeah, I am sure talking to Bloodhound.’ Why’d you come without your mask?”

“I don’t know,” Bloodhound shrugged, looking down at the hand they were pinning against their leg, “I don’t get to dress up very often but I like to, sometimes. Some part of me was curious if anyone would be able to tell, I believe. And you did.”

“Are you happy about that or no?”

“I am… happy,” they responded, experimentally interlacing their fingers with Ajay’s, “But I am curious…”

“How did I know? Well, for starters, the fact you were sittin’ on a rock for some-”

“No, no,” they cut her off, “Before tonight, had you ever... considered me?”

“You askin’ if I had a crush on ya before?”

“Yes.”

Resting her head against their shoulder, warm fur pressed against her face as Ajay responded, “I’d always been curious about you, maybe not a full blown crush but I’ve wondered how I could get closer to you, now and again.”

“Am I anything like what you pictured?”

Her chuckle was muffled, “Not really, your look is a lot more… dramatic than I would have thought. Thought you’d be a lot scruffier and I was picturing brown hair… eyes, definitely pictured you having eyes.”

“I have the eyes of the Allfather,” they answered like that meant anything to her, “A gift from the Gods.”

“See, never thought that was literal,” Ajay pulled her hand free to cup their face and bring it down to her level a bit, “So, did you?”

“Think my eyes were literal?”

“No, didja ever have a crush on me?”

It was their turn to chance a hand on her thigh, letting some of that flirting from before creep back in, “It’s hard not to when you sweep across the field like a valkyrie from above. A ‘guardian angel,’ gunning down the enemy teams and pulling us back from the brink of death.”

“An’ you say you’re not good at compliments,” she grinned, still holding onto their jaw reverently, “So… now that we’ve got all that cleared up… you wanna get out of here?”

Again, that small smile crept onto their face, “I would love to.”

Her own grin was much more devilish as she pulled them down those last few inches, kissing them softly on their scarred lips.


End file.
